Improvement in bran-dusters and flour-bolts



UETTEE STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES H. JONES, OF YELLOW SPRINGS, OHIO, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-THIRD HIS RIGHTTO JOSEPH S. PARROTT, OF SAME PLAGE.

IMPROVEMENT IN ERAN-DUSTERS AND FLOUR-BOLTS.

Specication forming part of Letters Patent No. 120,198, dated October24, 1871.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES H. JONES, of Yellow Springs, in the county ofGreene and State ot' Ohio, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Bran-Dusters and Flour-Bolts, of which the following isa specification:

The first part of my invention relates to the introduction into abran-duster or iiour-bolt of a device for causing vertical vibration inthe said bran-cluster or flour-bolt, thereby keeping them open andcausing them to bolt free. The second part of my invention relates to aneccentric arm or arms and to a device for operating the same, wherebythe vertical agitation of the slide may be perfectly regulated orentirely prevented. rIhe third part of my invention relates to acombination of a bran-screen, a Hour-screen, a brandischarge spout, anintermediate flour-spout, and a conveyer, in such a manner that theflour is more perfectly cleaned.

Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section through the center of abran-cluster and flourbolt, embodying' my several improvements. Fig. 2is a side elevation of a portion of one side of said bran-cluster andflour-bolt, showing the device by which the position of the eccentricarm already alluded to is regulated.

B is the outer frame of the bran-dusting and hour-bolt. Afeeding-hopper,A, is located in the top of this frame, and over the upper end oftheupper screen E. The screens E' and D, screen E being directly overscreen D, occupy the upper part of the upper chamber in the box B.4

These screens are sufficiently inclined longitudinally to properlydischarge the bran or sifting, Ste., from their lower ends. Their upperends are directly under said hopper A. The lower end of screen E emptiesinto discharge-spout O, and the screen D empties into intermediatedischarge-pipe M. Under and parallel with the screens D and D is a largescrew, or technically, a conveyer, N. Directly below the conveyer andopen to it is a discharge-orice, P. Under orice P and discharge-pipe Mextends a screen, Q, having about the same inclination longitudinally asscreens D and E, but in the opposite direction. The upper end of thisscreen is under the intermediate discharge-pipe M. The screen extendslongitudinallyr from end to end of the interior of the lower chamber orbox B, and under the orice P and at its lower end discharges intodischarge-pipe U. N is a conveyer below screen Q, and in the bottom ofthe same chamber-V V are slides regulating or preventing thedischarge ofiiour from the conveyer or N into dischargetubes T T. V is a slide toprevent or regulate the discharge from pipe U into discharge-pipe T. Avertical shaft, W, at one end of B communicates motion to the screensand conveyers. The lower end of this shaft rests on and turns in abearing, Z. The shaft near its top is supported by and turns within abearing, K'. A third bea-ring, K, supports the shaft at or near itsmiddle.

The mechanism for operating the screens is as follows: Upon the upperend of the shaft W is iitted a horizontal eccentric, f, which revolveswith the shaft W. From the lower edge of this eccentric projects aflange, horizontal and level,

except at one point, and `that is usually where the eccentric lprojectsmost, and here it rises in a small bulb or protuberance. Attached to theupper end of screen D is a collar, which fits around the eccentric f.The bottom of this collar is level, except at 011e point, usuallylocated on that side ofthe collar opposite the screen, and here itprojects downward in a point or protuberance. To operate screen Q in thelower chamber an eccentric, h, similar in all respects to the eccentricj' just described, is attached to shaft W. To the end of screen Q isattached a collar fitting over eccentric h, and similar in every respectto the collar attached to screen D. Upon the end of conveyer N is abeveled gearwheel, Y, geared into and operated by a beveled pinion, X,tixed on and turned by shaft W. The conveyer or N is operated by beveledgear similar to that by which conveyer N is made to revolve. Upon eachside of the bottom of screen D, near its lower end, there are fastenedtwo long iiat projections or bumpers K K, each of which has a notch inits lower side near its lower end. Directly below the notch of eachbumper when the screen is in the middle of its longitudinal vibratoryjourney, a block or ledge, L, narrow enough to it said notch is boltedand screwed to side of frame B. A mechanical equivalent of these blockswould be a bar extending across the screen directly under the notch ofeach bumper when the screen is at the middle of its journey.

Parallel with block or ledge L, and near to it, extends an eccentricarm, H. This block or ledge L is near enough to the bottom of the notchin k, so that when the eccentric arm is not in use this bar will supportscreen D and E. 'Under screen Q are two notched bumpers K' and K'; alsoa block or ledge, L', and eccentric arm H', similar, respectively, tobumpers K K, block or ledge L, and eccentric arm H, already described.The shaft of eccentric H passes through and eX- tends beyond the outsideframe B. Upon this extension a lever, b, is attached. The lower end ofthis lever slides in a slotted guide, d., of the form of a quadrant of acircle whose radius is that of the lever. (See Fig. 2.) The lever is se-Vc'aured'att aryip'oint in the guide by Va'set-screw,

m. To regulate the shaft of eccentric arm H' a device consisting oflever b', guide d', and setscrew m', and similar to the device forregulating eccentric arm H, is placed on the outside of frame B belowthe device for eccentric H. g is the belt-wheel for operating the shaft.

The mode in which the afore-described machine with my improvementsoperates is as follows, viz: The shaft W being caused to revolve, theeccentrics f and 1L revolve and give longitudinal reciprocal motion totheir respective screens; at the same time the projecting iianges ofsaid eccentrics give a vibratory vertical movement to the screens. Thisvertical movement gradually decreases toward that end ofthe screen whichis furthest from shaft WV, and at such end there is no vertical motion.The object of the longitudinal and vertical vibration is to agitate thenewlyground unbolted grain, so as to thoroughly screen and separate thebran and chaff from the iiour. The longitudinal and vertical vibrationsalready alluded to are often insufficient to thoroughly screen theiiour. My vibratory device then becomes of advantage in the followingmanner: The side of the eccentric arm H is presented to the bumpers K Kby turning lever I) and fastening it on guide d by set-screw m. Thisposition of the eccentric arm H allows the bumpers K K to rest on theblock or ledge L. As the screens D and E and bumpers K K are movedbackward and forward, once in every such backward and once in every suchforward movement, the notch of the bumpers K K will fit the block orledge, and at the moment of such fitting the screens D and E will fallwith the bumpers the depth of the notch. But as this falling of thesescreens occurs at the middle of their forward or backward stroke, as thestroke continues the bumper will be moved along and the notch will riseup from block or ledge L and be moved along. As the notch rises thebumpers K K and the screens rise. Thus in every backward or forwardmovement that end of the screens D and E which is furthest from theshaft W will be suddenly raised and as suddenly lowered with a sharpvertical jolting motion or vibration, thus often materiall yaiding inscreening the ground grain. Whenever the vibratory movement by block orledge Lis not needed, the leverb is turned, so that the position of theeccentric is changed, so that its end raises up the bumpers K K and withthem the screens D and E. Neither the bumpers K K or their notches willthen touch the cross-bar, and thus all vibration from the junction ofthe notch and cross-bar will be prevented. The unbolted iiour enters theframe B through hopper A and falls upon coarse screen E. As this screenand screen D are in violent agitation the flour sifts through E and intoscreen D while the bran remaining on E is shaken down to the lower endof D and is discharged into the discharge-passage C. The iiour which hassifted through E into screen D is there resifted, and the finer portionsfall directly through the screen onto the bottom of theupper chamberwhence they are Y conveyed by the revolving conveyer N into orice P andfall through said orifice into the lower conveyer, which is also inviolent agitation. The bran and coarser siftings of screen D aredischarged from the lower end of screen D into discharge-tube M, throughwhich they pass into screen Q. All the fine iiour passes through saidscreen Q into the bottom of this lower chamber and is conveyed by theconveyerN to the slides V V. These latter regulate its discharge intothe final discharge-tubes T T 5 the coarse siftin gs which will not passthrough screen Q are discharged at its lower end into discharge-passageU, whence its flow into final discharge-tube T' is regulated bydischarge-door V'. By gradually moving the end of lever b along theguide d between the points of full vibration and where vibration ceases,more or less vertical vibration will be given to the screens, accordingto the amount of `junction of the notch and cross-bar. The lower screenQ, notched bumpers K' K',

block or ledge L', and eccentric H', are regulated i and operated in away similar to to that just mentioned in relation to bumpers K K, blockor ledge L, eccentric arm H, and screens D and E.

l/Vhat I claim as new is l. The eccentric arm or shaft H, in combinationwith the block or ledge L, and notched bumper K, when applied toabran-duster or flourbolt, as and for the purposes herein set4 forth.

2. In combination with the eccentric arm H the adjusting device hereinshown, consisting of the lever b, guide d, and set-screw m, whenarranged as and for the purpose of regulating the inclina-tion andvertical agitation of the screen, as set forth.

3. The combination of the screen or duster E, Hour-bolt D,discharge-spout C, intermediate spout M, conveyer N, and the secondaryscreen or bolt Q, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

4. The combination of the screen or duster E, flour-bolt D,discharge-spout G, intermediate spout M, conveyer N, and the secondaryscreen or bolt Q, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

JAMES H. JONES.

Witnesses WM. G. MCKEE, GEO. M. MILES. (57)

